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It’s an unfortunate downside to something that brings us all a lot of joy, but especially at this time of year, endless catch-ups, after work drinks, and trips out to dinner mean your wallet gets empty fast.

For some reason, it’s like we’re all expected to pretend we have unlimited money, with everyone inviting you to pop-ups, cocktail bars, and hip restaurants. Why does no one ever suggest a Greggs, huh?!

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. With a brass neck and some excuses and inventiveness here and there, you can still go out and pay your bills too.

Be upfront

Your mates will understand – we’ve all been there. Nothing is worse than sitting in a restaurant pretending you’re not hungry and ordering a side salad. Don’t be friends with people who’ll push you into awkward situations or be happy to see you eat packet noodles all month for the sake of their big night out.

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This is particularly pertinent when it comes to things like birthdays and Christmas. Explain you’re skint so you don’t feel pressured to overspend on presents. If they’re a good friend, they’ll be happy to forgo a present if it means you being able to afford coming out.

Have alternatives

There’s no point just saying you can’t afford it and ending the conversation. That’s where FOMO comes in and leaves you sitting in your cold flat watching your friends’ Snapchat stories. It can also lead to them thinking you’re making excuses and don’t want to see them when it isn’t the case.

If you have a free activity you want to try, or you’re happy to just hang out at somebody’s house, say it. You’ll probably find out that they just want to socialise rather than do the specific thing they’d suggested.

That’s probably cut-price Prosecco in those flutes (Pictures: Getty)

BYOB is your friend

So many great restaurants are BYOB. SO. MANY.

That extends from great curry houses to upmarket places that’ll let you bring a bottle on certain days of the week. Check ahead for corkage prices, but this could save you a lot of money given the fact that booze is usually the priciest part of dining out.

Forget rounds and bill-splitting

You can be as frugal as you want, but someone else will invariably order a fancy cocktail or steak when you’re out, leaving you out of pocket.

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If you say at the start of the night you’re not participating, then you won’t get stuck in the never-ending round cycle. Just say you’re trying to drink less, or that you’re eating lighter that evening.

Embrace being skint

Remember being young when all you needed for a night out was a bottle of Lambrini and your friends? Not everything needs to be fancy, and when it’s under the guise of retro nostalgia, it seems like a theme! Sneaky, right?

For a festive party, you can do a tacky Christmas theme with kitschy canapes and a big bowl of punch. Cava can replace champagne, and you can all wear your ugliest jumpers. I guarantee you’ll have a laugh.

Limit yourself

The likes of Monzo allow you to put exactly how much you want to spend on a prepaid card so you can stop yourself going over the top. If you know your card will get declined on another tipple, you’re a lot less likely to chance it.

Combine your friends

If you’re someone who has friends from different circles (which adds up when you have to meet them all separately) think about amalgamating them all. Obviously, there’s the benefit of saving money on loads of different catch-ups, but you also get to make yourself a brand new gang and bring people together.

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If that isn’t the spirit of Christmas, I don’t know what is.

This article is part of Money Month, our month-long series of features, advice, and experiences about our tricky relationship with all things money.